Despite your cat being declawed, I second the use of the Klaw Kontrol bag. It's a cat-sized duffel bag with a head opening (and comes in 3 sizes). With their feet completely confined in the bag, they can't offer too much resistance to you.

I think the close confines of the bag and the neck strap may also help settle them down. I used the bag to give meds and sub-q's to a recalcitrant cat (maybe not so much so as yours) and it made the difference between impossible and relatively easy.